orbiting io: dailyrituals

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Friday, July 17, 2009

daily rituals #008

sunflower, pencil sketch

baby girl’s art workshop at st. elmo’s village inspired me to break out the drawing pad and get to work. i had no idea I was capable of drawing anything, let alone a flower. at every step of this drawing i doubted my ability to make any semblance of such a beautiful flower. still, i studied every leaf, admiring some more than others. it was like solving a puzzle as i tried to understand depth and light. i marveled at the bending of a leaf and the slight fuzz that grows on the stem. being a photographer, i am always choosing what to exclude from the frame. drawing is the opposite approach where you must choose what details you want to include. it was like exploring new regions of my brain. i was very much surprised at the outcome of my sunflower and proud of myself for seeing it through.

this one sunflower has inspired me to not only keep on drawing, but to trust in my own creative process and know that it will take me where I need to go. this week my personal life has taken an unexpected turn. this sunflower is teaching me not to focus on what the outcome may be--in the end it will indeed be a sunflower. instead, i am paying attention to the leaves, one at a time, admiring the beauty of each one. i continue on my journey--trusting my instincts, listening to wild woman, howling at the moon, and knowing that i am on the right path.